Evolve

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB delivers a wide spread of frame rates in Evolve, with the data showing a clear shift in system bottleneck as resolution and settings change. At 1080p, the combination produces very high frame rates that suggest the CPU is doing the heavy lifting, while at 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, with performance scaling that reflects the graphics card's capabilities relative to its peers.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combination shows a pronounced drop as resolution increases, which is typical for a system where the GPU is the primary constraint at higher pixel counts. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the average frame rate falls from 134 FPS to 88.3 FPS, a reduction of roughly 34%. This indicates that the rendering load is scaling significantly with pixel count, and the RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB is responding to that increased demand.

The transition from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 at High settings is even more severe, with the average dropping from 88.3 FPS to 53.2 FPS, a further 40% decline. This steep slope at 4K is a strong indicator that the GPU is nearing its performance ceiling. The RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB, with its 128-bit memory bus and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth, is being taxed heavily at this resolution, and the data reflects that the card's 8 GB frame buffer and memory subsystem are not able to maintain the same throughput as at lower resolutions.

The pattern holds across all settings presets. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 221.9 FPS at 1080p to 151 FPS at 1440p, then to 85 FPS at 4K. The relative drop from 1080p to 4K is about 62%, which is substantial. At Ultra settings, the figures are 94.4 FPS at 1080p, 62.4 FPS at 1440p, and 36.9 FPS at 4K. This last figure is particularly telling: 36.9 FPS at 4K Ultra is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, and it reinforces that this combination is not suited for maximum settings at that resolution.

What this scaling reveals is that the limiting component changes with resolution. At 1080p, the high frame rates across all settings—from 94.4 FPS at Ultra to 221.9 FPS at Low—suggest that the CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads, boosting to 4.90 GHz, are able to feed the GPU adequately, and the bottleneck is more likely the graphics card's raw output. At 4K, however, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, as the frame rates compress into a narrower band and the gap between Low and Ultra settings shrinks proportionally less than at 1080p.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its benchmark scores indicate strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23444 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 12373. The single-thread performance is also solid, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3309 and a Passmark single-thread score of 3925.

In Evolve, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p, where the frame rates are high enough that the processor's ability to handle game logic and draw calls becomes more relevant. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combination reaches 221.9 FPS, which is a very high number that many CPUs would struggle to feed. The i5-12600KF's 3DMark scores, such as 7956 for 16 threads and 1016 for a single thread, suggest it has the headroom to handle this workload without becoming a bottleneck at these settings.

However, the data also shows that the CPU is not the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The consistent drop in FPS from 1080p to 1440p to 4K across all settings indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor once the pixel count increases. The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is worth noting: it scores nearly identically to the Intel Core i9-10900K, with a deltaPct of 0, and it is only 0.1% behind the Intel Core i5-12600K. This places it in a competitive position for gaming workloads, though the game's results here are more heavily influenced by the GPU.

The processor's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory provide a capable foundation, but the benchmark results in this game do not show any CPU-specific spikes or stalls that would indicate a bottleneck. The frame rate scaling is smooth and consistent, which points to a balanced system where the CPU is doing its job without being overtaxed.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The data shows an average of 94.4 FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings. This is the lowest of the 1080p presets, but it remains above 60 FPS, indicating playable performance.

Q: How does the combination perform at 4K with High settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average frame rate is 53.2 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that users may need to lower settings for smoother gameplay at this resolution.

Q: Is there a significant difference between Low and Medium settings at 1440p?

A: Yes, the difference is noticeable. At 2560x1440, Low settings produce an average of 151 FPS, while Medium settings produce 115.3 FPS. This represents a reduction of about 24% when moving from Low to Medium.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded in the measured data?

A: The highest average frame rate is 221.9 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only preset that exceeds the 200 FPS mark in the data.

Q: Does the game scale well from Medium to High settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the average frame rate drops from 171.1 FPS at Medium to 134 FPS at High, a reduction of roughly 22%. This is a moderate drop, suggesting that High settings are a reasonable step up from Medium.

Q: How does the performance at 4K Ultra compare to 1080p Ultra?

A: The average frame rate at 4K Ultra is 36.9 FPS, which is significantly lower than the 94.4 FPS at 1080p Ultra. This represents a drop of about 61%, highlighting the GPU's difficulty at 4K with maximum settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combination depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, with even Ultra settings achieving an average of 94.4 FPS. For users with a 60 Hz monitor, Ultra settings at 1080p provide a solid experience without any concerns. For those with a 144 Hz display, Medium settings at 171.1 FPS or High settings at 134 FPS would be better choices to fully utilize the refresh rate.

At 2560x1440, the data suggests that High settings at 88.3 FPS offer a good balance between visual quality and performance. Medium settings at 115.3 FPS are also viable for higher refresh rate monitors, while Ultra at 62.4 FPS is just above the 60 FPS mark but may not be stable in all scenes. Low settings at 151 FPS are an option for competitive play, but the visual compromise is significant.

At 3840x2160, the recommendation is more constrained. High settings at 53.2 FPS are borderline, and users may prefer Medium settings at 65.5 FPS for a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Low settings at 85 FPS are the most playable option at this resolution, but the visual quality is noticeably reduced. Ultra settings at 36.9 FPS are not recommended for a smooth experience, as the frame rate falls well below the standard playability threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB ranks 699 out of 1695 tested combos in Evolve. This places it in the upper-middle portion of the database, indicating that it performs reasonably well but is not among the top-tier configurations. The rank is influenced by the GPU's performance, which has a percentile rank of 17 among all GPUs, meaning it is in the lower half of the field. The CPU, by contrast, has a percentile rank of 84 among all CPUs, which is much stronger.

The discrepancy between the CPU and GPU percentile ranks suggests that the system's overall ranking is dragged down by the graphics card. The RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB's benchmark score of 2913 in 3DMark Steel Nomad places it level with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M, a much older and less capable card, and only 0.2% ahead of the RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB. This is an unusual result, as the 8 GB and 16 GB versions of the same card should perform similarly, but the data shows the 8 GB model with a slight edge in this specific test.

In the context of Evolve, the combo's rank of 699 out of 1695 means it sits above the median but well behind the top performers. The CPU's strong showing, with an average benchmark score of 27827 that rivals the Intel Core i9-10900K, does not fully compensate for the GPU's lower standing. The data indicates that the system is balanced toward CPU-heavy workloads, but in this game, the GPU's role is more critical at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are: Low 221.9 FPS, Medium 171.1 FPS, High 134 FPS, and Ultra 94.4 FPS. These figures show a clear progression, with Low being more than double the frame rate of Ultra, indicating that the settings preset has a substantial impact on performance at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the measured averages are: Low 151 FPS, Medium 115.3 FPS, High 88.3 FPS, and Ultra 62.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows compared to 1080p, with Ultra being about 59% of Low's frame rate. This suggests that the GPU is beginning to become a limiting factor, as the absolute frame rates drop across the board.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low 85 FPS, Medium 65.5 FPS, High 53.2 FPS, and Ultra 36.9 FPS. The progression here is more compressed, with Ultra being only 43% of Low's frame rate. This is a strong indicator that the GPU is the dominant constraint at 4K, and the settings preset has a reduced relative impact because the rendering load is already very high.

The data across all resolutions shows a consistent relationship: Low settings always produce the highest frame rates, followed by Medium, then High, with Ultra being the lowest. The absolute differences between presets shrink as resolution increases, which is expected when the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The minimum and maximum FPS values are not provided in the data, so the analysis relies solely on the average figures, which still provide a clear picture of the system's capabilities in Evolve.